


Strange Times

by Arcadias_Fire



Series: The Strange Path [3]
Category: British Actor RPF, Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Character Study, Experimental Style, M/M, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 18:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcadias_Fire/pseuds/Arcadias_Fire
Summary: “You had something you wished to speak on? I assume it was not my love life.”“You have to come home.”“What?”“You need to return to our universe. You’re endangering everything.”“Speak plainly, Strange.”“We only have one chance, and you need to be there.”***A recalcitrant god doesn't want to go home, but perhaps he can be convinced.





	Strange Times

**Author's Note:**

> Some time has passed from Earth's perspective in this sequel to Strange Mischief and Sentiment.

 

 

“Wake up, I need to talk to you.”

 

“No.”

 

“Seriously? Wake up.”

 

A burst of flame colored magic sears his flesh and green eyes flash open. “What. Do. You. Want.”

 

“I told you, I need to talk to you.”

 

“I was otherwise engaged.”

 

“You were sleeping.”

 

“I get up to a great deal in my sleep.”

 

Blue-grey eyes roll. “Why are you even bothering trying to seduce him?”

 

A flash of teeth. “I’m doing an excellent job of seducing him, thank you.”

 

“He’s in a relationship.”

 

“With a married man. There is room on his dance card.”

 

“Do they even have dance cards on Asgard?”

 

“I am perfectly capable of picking up idioms, mortal.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“You had something you wished to speak on? I assume it was not my love life.”

 

“You have to come home.”

 

“What?”

 

“You need to return to our universe. You’re endangering everything.”

 

“Speak plainly, Strange.”

 

“We only have one chance, and you need to be there.”

 

“That is not speaking plainly. That is just as vague as your first statement.”

 

“What you’re doing now, this in-between state you’ve put yourself in, you’re endangering our universe. If you don’t come back and take your place in the timeline, half the universe will die.”

 

“What _have_ you been using the Eye for?”

 

“There’s only one way, Loki. One. Otherwise the universe as we know it ends.”

 

“And I should care about this because…?”

 

“You care about your brother. Don’t look at me like that, I know you still love him.”

 

“What I have here is far more precious than the wreckage which is all that is left of my relationship with Thor.”

 

“You don’t have anything here.”

 

“Don’t I? This mortal cares for me, _loves_ me. I can feel it.” The god presses his hand to his chest. “His heart will beat for me. And he wishes for me to stay with him.”

 

“I… of course he does.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Let me talk to him.”

 

“No.”

 

“You know I can just arrange to talk to him when you’re not around.”

 

“I wish you the best of luck with that.”

 

“You… you’re basically living in his mind, aren’t you?”

 

“There was already a place ready for me. I have lived here for nearly a decade as far as he is concerned.”

 

“Please. Five minutes. I can make things difficult for you if you don’t.”

 

“Oh very well.” Green eyes close and reopen as blue.

 

“What? Ben? What’s going on? Are you alright?”

 

“Sorry, I’m not Ben at the moment.”

 

The crystalline blue eyes look up. “Oh. I see.” Then back at the other man. “You want me to try and convince him to leave. I won’t do it.”

 

“You know what’s at stake.”

 

“And that’s why I won’t ask him to leave. I’ll try and keep him here with me for as long as I can. I’m not going to ask him to walk into… into _that._ I will not sacrifice him. He’s better off here with me.”

 

“Don’t you care?”

 

“Not especially. You see, for me, it’s already happened, and this is the only thing that can change it.”

 

“That’s not how time works.”

 

“Would you like to read the scripts? I know you’ve already seen what happens. Do you want to see what changes were made? How the lines were written?”

 

“Okay, I don’t entirely understand how our two universes interact, but I _know_ that we’re lost unless Loki comes back with me.”

  
  
“I and I know what happens to him if he does, so no.”

 

“Are saying one life is worth trillions and trillions?”

 

“Are you really going to ask me that?”

 

They lie in silence for a long moment.

 

“Go home, Dr. Strange. I’m not helping you. I have a chance to save him, and I will.”

 

“You’ll regret that.”

 

“Never.” Blue eyes close and open green.

 

“My mortal is wonderful, is he not? So devoted.”

 

“He’s going to cause the destruction of our universe.”

 

“I find that highly unlikely.”

 

“You don’t understand.”

 

“It’s not so much that I don’t understand. More that I do not care.”

 

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by that. I am surprised by _his_ reaction.”

 

“Our lives are fiction to him, Strange. He half believes that he has gone mad, that he is merely dreaming my presence. But he is determined to enjoy it while he can.”

 

“Loki, please. We need you.”

 

“I will not be _sacrificed_ on your altar of fate.”

 

“I… it’ll be me too. Almost everyone.”

 

“...Thor?”

 

A deep breath. “You will save his life.”

 

“What are you not telling me?”

 

“There are over fourteen million eventualities, Loki. Only one ends in Thanos’s defeat. I’m standing at a crossroads and _you need to come home to make it happen_.”

 

“Leave me be, Strange. I will not help you.”

 

“He’ll kill Thor without you there.”

 

“And if my host is correct, I will die no matter what. I have spent centuries evading death’s claws. I have a place here where I am loved and accepted. Do you think me a fool?”

 

“No, I think you’re very very smart. I’m sure you can figure out a way to ‘evade’ death again and still save your brother. And everyone else.”

 

“And how would I return here again once I have completed your mission?” The word mission contains so much venom it burns. “The Titan will demand the Tesseract, and without it, I will be trapped.”

 

“If I help you find a way back here, will you come home?”

 

“Hrm. My mortal is most distraught by this idea. He believes you will sacrifice anything to achieve your goals.” Green eyes narrow. “I do not believe that you are lying, however.”

 

The sorcerer in an actor’s body lets out a long breath. “I swear to you, Loki, I will do my best to get you back to this universe once you’ve done your part.”

 

“Ah, no. You will assist me now. You will provide a means of escape before I set one foot in our universe again.”

 

“I’ll… I’ll have to do some research.”

 

“You best get to it then, hadn’t you?” The god makes a small shooing motion with his hands. “Leave me to calm my mortal, he is most distressed.”

 

“Okay. I’ll be back, and I _will_ drag your ass home.”

 

“I have given you my terms, Strange. You may leave my arse out of it.”

 

“It’s a figure of speech.”

 

“I am aware. If I wanted to be literal, I would point out that you’ve already had it.”

 

“TMI, Trickster.”

 

“You know that our hosts are lovers; it shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

 

“I still didn’t need to think about it.”  

 

Loki rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Go home, Strange.”

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

“I’m certain you shall.”

 

 


End file.
